A
daily, Bible-based perspective of hope, encouragement and
exhortation.
Monday,
October
25,
2021
Hay wagons always grab my attention.
This load of alfalfa is waiting for transport to the barn.
"Do Something"
Listen
to this message on your audio player.
“Although
our sins testify against us, O LORD, do something for the
sake of your Name. For our backsliding is great; we have
sinned against you” (Jeremiah 14:7).
Ten years ago
Rick Levine was a pediatric doctor in his early fifties
working at nearby Hershey Medical Center (the
hospital we go to) with a specialty
in eating disorders. He was married till 2013 and has two
children. In 2011 he started pretending he was a woman named
Rachel and the last ten years his career has skyrocketed;
first as our Pennsylvania health secretary, in which during
the early days of covid we were subjected to the utterly
bizarre sight of a man dressed as a woman giving us health
advice! Now he's been promoted to a position in Washington
and last week was made the first four star "female" admiral.
We truly live in Bizarro world.*
Do you ever
feel like this:
I woke up this
morning
Saw a world full of trouble now, thought
How'd we ever get so far down, and
How's it ever gonna turn around
So I turned my eyes to Heaven
I thought, "God, why don't You do something?"
Saw a world full of trouble now, thought
How'd we ever get so far down, and
How's it ever gonna turn around
So I turned my eyes to Heaven
I thought, "God, why don't You do something?"
Jeremiah lived
during the years immediately prior to Israel’s destruction
and captivity in Babylon. The spiritual and physical
conditions were horrific. God’s judgment fell not only the
idolaters but also upon His own people (read Lamentations
2). Jeremiah pleaded with the people to repent and turn to
God and earnestly prayed as expressed in the daily Scripture
verse.
He begins with a confession of sin, "Our sins testify against us... For our backsliding is great; we have sinned against you". Jeremiah did not argue against the basis of God’s judgment but readily acknowledged the sins that were an inarguable witness against the character of God’s people. He appealed to God’s mercy based on His sinless character and for His honor and glory.
“O LORD, do something for the sake of your Name.” I find his appeal so interesting, reflecting the desperation of the times. “Do something”, he cried out, without being specific. As I consider the state of our country and world today I find myself also using this non specific appeal. I want God to act but am uncertain of how God's actions will look like or how they might be played out. As the great sins in our land and throughout the world are considered will this action be:
I sense that we are at some type of tipping point and will soon find out. Our call, whatever happens, is to stay faithful to God.
The basis of Jeremiah’s appeal was "for the sake of your Name". Now I admit I can have a selfish motivation for wanting to see God do something! Surely Jeremiah was considering much more than his own personal comfort and well-being and more than that of the people he cared for so deeply.
He begins with a confession of sin, "Our sins testify against us... For our backsliding is great; we have sinned against you". Jeremiah did not argue against the basis of God’s judgment but readily acknowledged the sins that were an inarguable witness against the character of God’s people. He appealed to God’s mercy based on His sinless character and for His honor and glory.
“O LORD, do something for the sake of your Name.” I find his appeal so interesting, reflecting the desperation of the times. “Do something”, he cried out, without being specific. As I consider the state of our country and world today I find myself also using this non specific appeal. I want God to act but am uncertain of how God's actions will look like or how they might be played out. As the great sins in our land and throughout the world are considered will this action be:
1) The return
of God’s Son in the culmination of the Church age,
2) A great revival, with a restoration to living by God’s standards or
3) A pouring out of God's powerful judgment.
2) A great revival, with a restoration to living by God’s standards or
3) A pouring out of God's powerful judgment.
I sense that we are at some type of tipping point and will soon find out. Our call, whatever happens, is to stay faithful to God.
The basis of Jeremiah’s appeal was "for the sake of your Name". Now I admit I can have a selfish motivation for wanting to see God do something! Surely Jeremiah was considering much more than his own personal comfort and well-being and more than that of the people he cared for so deeply.
He was first
of all concerned for the sake of God’s Name. He had seen the
mighty acts of God in the past and certainly didn’t want God
to be viewed by the unrighteous as a powerless, helpless
God. He was surrounded by visible yet inanimate and
powerless godhead figures of the unbelieving nations as
mentioned in v. 22: “Do any of the worthless idols of
the nations bring rain?”
Surely he wondered how all this fit in with the promised Messiah and the establishment of God’s kingdom. Well, God did indeed do something, although it wasn’t in the typical fashion of fairy tales that usually includes this ending, “and they lived happily forever after”. God’s judgment came upon the land and the Israelites were taken captive in Babylon. Yet God had and will always have a plan for His people even if it is carried out while in captivity or under His judgment. Those who remained faithful to Him are known as “the remnant”. (see Ezra 9:13)
Today God is doing something and will continue to do something. He is reigning and His kingdom will come. May our driving cry for God’s intervention, in whatever form it may be revealed be not so much for our personal comfort, but for the “sake of God’s Name”. Notwithstanding the reality of evil, be deeply assured today that God’s ultimate plan for His children is always indescribably good!
Surely he wondered how all this fit in with the promised Messiah and the establishment of God’s kingdom. Well, God did indeed do something, although it wasn’t in the typical fashion of fairy tales that usually includes this ending, “and they lived happily forever after”. God’s judgment came upon the land and the Israelites were taken captive in Babylon. Yet God had and will always have a plan for His people even if it is carried out while in captivity or under His judgment. Those who remained faithful to Him are known as “the remnant”. (see Ezra 9:13)
Today God is doing something and will continue to do something. He is reigning and His kingdom will come. May our driving cry for God’s intervention, in whatever form it may be revealed be not so much for our personal comfort, but for the “sake of God’s Name”. Notwithstanding the reality of evil, be deeply assured today that God’s ultimate plan for His children is always indescribably good!
Daily
prayer: Father, if we search our hearts we too
will cry out with Jeremiah, “Our sins testify
against us.” Our behavior reflects the inner
desires of our hearts and all too often it does not
reveal God-like character. Worthless idols are
of greater desire to so many of us replacing the
devotion that once belonged only to You. We repent
of our sins and seek Your intervention to heal our
land for the sake of Your name, for Your honor and
glory. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.Today's
Suggested
Music and Supplemental Resources
"Is He Worthy" Video
"Do
Something" Video Matthew West
In this song we are reminded that God has gifted
each of us to do something!
"He
Will Hold Me Fast" Video Keith
& Kristyn Getty
Here's
some music from our church service yesterday
where we were blessed to hear the choir and
orchestra again:
"Crown
Him With Many Crowns" Video
"Is He Worthy" Video
*
My opening observation is now very politically
incorrect. We are all supposed to just join in
the fantasy and on social media you will be
punished if you don't. (Such as a rep that
tweeted the truth.) But the mainstream media
dutifully goes along with the nonsense such as
this article at CBS. "The former
pediatrician's appointment also made her the
first female four-star admiral in the
U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps'
history."
Wagon
with multi-colored mums along Musser School Road.
Lots of hay bales along Farmersville
Road.
(Click to enlarge)
These cousins are headed out to
explore nature in the leaf strewn woods. That
hike still looks appealing to me!
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& Brooksyne
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